About Netherlands

The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII. Canalside mansions and a trove of works from artists including Rembrandt and Vermeer remain from the city’s 17th-century “Golden Age.”

Population

The current population of the Netherlands is 17,044,386 as of Tuesday, September 19, 2017, based on the latest United Nations estimates. The Netherlands population is equivalent to 0.23% of the total world population and has a population density of 505 per Km2 (1,308 people per mi2).

Political Structure

Since 1815 The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy. Historically for centuries before, it had been the proud republic, a union of provinces. Since 1848, the Netherlands is also a parliamentary democracy. Dutch monarch has no real political power, but serves as representative head of state and a symbolic person uniting the divided parliamentary politics.

Infrastructure and Economy

The Netherlands has an excellent infrastructure of ports, airports, and roadways. It also has a highly developed telecommunications system. Since the Netherlands is one of the main points of entry for goods imported into Europe, it is very important for the nation to maintain its transport system in order to move products into the interior of the continent. In order to improve the infrastructure, the government plans to launch a range of new projects over the next decade. A minimum of US$35 billion has already been budgeted to pay for a variety of projects including a high-speed rail link between Amsterdam and Brussels. There are also plans for a special rail system to connect Rotterdam and areas of Germany.

Language

Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands. Almost the entire population of the country speak this West Germanic language. Nearly 23 million worldwide people speak Dutch as their first language.

Currency

The currency in the Netherlands is the euro, which is also used in several other nations across Europe.